Vacuum ash tray for vehicles



NOV. 6, 1956 MQBER? ET AL 2,769,447

2 VACUUM ASH TRAY FOR VEHICLES Filed Jan. 21, 1955 INVENTORS Theodore EMobeg F1 5. t/ZmeSMSaaZrman J 57 A? United States Patent VACUUM ASH TRAY FOR VEHICLES Theodore E. Moherg and James M. Sackman, Tacoma, Wash.

Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,235

3 Claims. (Cl. 131-256) This invention relates to a vacuum ash tray for the reception of ashes, cigarette stubs, cigar butts, matches, and other smokers materials. It is adapted for installation particularly in vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, busses, boats, and trains, wherein a source of vacuum is available.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an ash tray for vehicles which will extinguish burning cigarettes and the like rapidly and effectively, and which will eliminate the disagreeable odor usually associated with such materials.

it is another object of this invention to provide a vacuum ash tray for vehicles which will eliminate the fire hazard attendant upon the disposal of smokers materials.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vacuum ash tray for vehicles which is easy to use. 7

Another object of this invention is the provision of an ash tray for vehicles which may be installed inconspicuously in a wide variety of vehicles.

The manner in which the above and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the drawings wherein:

, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the presently described vacuum ash tray;

Figures 2, 3, and 4 are detailed sectional views illustrating the cover assembly of. the presently described vacuum ash tray in its closed, partly open, and fully openpositions;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure l and illustrating the construction of a valve for use in evacuating the presently described vacuum ash tray; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 66 in Figure l and showing details of construction of the vacuum ports.

As is apparent from the drawings, the vacuum ash tray of this invention is adapted for installation on the-horizontal portion of the' dash panel 16 of an automobile, or in any other suitable and convenient location. It comprises broadly an extinguishing chamber 12 and a discharge chamber 14 which may be attached to or include a discharge conduit 16, these three elements of the assembly being arranged one below the other.

The extinguishing chamber 12 preferably is tubular in form and is provided with an annular flange 18 and a threaded section 20, at its upper extremity. The latter section is dimensioned to be inserted in an opening through the dash panel and to receive the knurled nut 22, thereby providing means for attaching the assembly to the dash panel, in the manner illustrated particularly in Figures 2-4.

Flange 18 may be circular in outline but is arranged eccentrically with respect to extinguishing chamber 12. This provides a laterally extending bracket 24 upon which may be mounted a cover assembly for sealing the upper end of the extinguishing chamber, and valve means for use in evacuating the chamber.

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The cover assembly comprises a cover 26 which preferably is circular in outline, conforming in general to the outline of flange 18. Its underside is recessed to form recesses 28 and 30 respectively. The former is adapted to cover the mouth of the extinguishing chamber, and the latter to receive the control member for the valve which controls the vacuum in the chamber. Hinge means including pin 32 are employed for hinging the lid to a standard 34 which extends upwardly from the bracket portion 24 of flange 18.

Means areprovided for sealing off the mouth of the extinguishing chamber so that it is substantially airtight.

In the illustrated form (Figures 2, 3 and 4) such means,

comprise the sealing ring 36 preferably made of rubber or similar material, and the reinforcing washer 38. These members are superimposed on each other and held in place loosely by means of the headed pin 40 extending downwardly from the central portion of recess 28 in cover 26. The shank of pin 40 extends through aligned openings 41 in the ring 36 and washer 38, which openings are of larger diameter than the said shank. The sealing ring 36 is larger in dimension than the interior cross section of chamber 12, and thus is caused to rest upon the edge of the threaded section 20 when the cover 26 is closed, thereby forming a seal between the cover and chamber, as shown in Figure 2. The reinforcing washer 38 is smaller in dimension than the interior cross section of chamber 12, and functions to prevent buckling of the flexible sealing ring 36 when the latter is raised, upon opening the cover 26 to the position shown in Figure 4. The loose fit between the sealing ring, washer and pin facilitates opening of the lid, since it permits the entry of air into the evacuating chamber 12 through the aligned openings 41, as indicated by the arrows in 'Figure 3, immediately upon lifting the lid, thereby breaking the vacuumwithin the chamber.

Means'also are provided for sealing off the lower end of extinguishing chamber 12, such means in the illustrat'ed embodiment being combined with discharge means for discharging the extinguished contents of the chamber. The combined sealing and discharge means thus comprise a conical valve member 42 which carries a circumferenchamber 14.

Valve member 42 is mounted upon and actuated by an assembly which includes a vertical shaft 46 reciprocably mounted in bearings 48, 50, which are attached to the inner sidewalls of discharge chamber 14. On shaft 46 are mounted a collar 52 and a coil spring 54, the latter being interposed between the collar and bearing 50.

A flexible wire 56 is connected to collar 52 and extends outside the discharge chamber, where its terminal portion is connected to a control button 58 which may be mounted on the instrument panel of the vehicle in the usual manner. Accordingly, by actuation of the control button, the cone shaped valve member for the tube may be opened and closed alternately, the degree of opening being suflicient to permit the smokers material extinguished in chamber 12 to pass into discharge chamber 14 and thence into conduit 16 Where it is discharged into a suitable receptacle, or in the alternative through the floor of the vehicle.

Evacuating means are associated with the extinguishing chamber for evacuating it and thereby extinguishing the burning material contained in it. To this end the sidewall of chamber 12 is perforated in several places and vacuum ports 60, 62, 64 (Figure l) are secured therein, as illustrated in Figure 6. The vacuum ports communicate with the interior of chamber 12 and are interconnected by an exhaust manifold 66 which is conof thesame. a

The valve 68 comprises a hollow body formed with a V valve seat 70. slidablyr-rmounted Within the .body'is' a stem 72 having 'at its inner 'end' the valve member 74- On its outer end; is a head 76'adapted to,be contained within' reeess 30 in cover 26 and to contact the ceiling A coil 'springi78 encircles the sha ftand is interposed between head 76 and the outside of the valve body.

Accordingly, when cover 26' is closed, the valve is opened, interconnecting the extinguishing chamber 12 and vacuvacuurn. 'T-his evacuates' the chamber.

of}. chamber 12 frorn the source cfrvacuum. a

' i V Operation V 'The manner oi op era'tion of the herein described vacuurn ash rec rpta'cle is as follows; The cigarette stubs 01? other burning smokers material is placed in extinguish- 1 ing chamber 12, conical valve 42 being in its closed'tpositionJ Cover 26 thenis placed over the mouth of chamoer-12.-

seals off the chamber and atfthe same nected t aMvalve68. The latter may beot .any. suit- 7 table type, one such being illustrated in detail in Figure 5.

' um line 89 which maybe connected to the intake mani- 7 'fold of an internal combustion engine or other source of However, when 7 cover 26 is opened, the valve is: closed, thereby shutting time opens valve 68, interconnectingthe chamberf with t the vacunm source. H Accordingly the chamber is evacuated-and the burning'waste material extinguished substantially instantaneously; p t

Further quantities of smokerswaste material may be Having thus described our invention we claim:-

1. A vacuum receiver for smokers material compris-' ing an extinguishing chamber having a mouth for the j reception of the material, a substantially air-tight cover superimposed over the mouth, hinge means for attaching the cover to the chamber, conduit means communicating with the chamber and adapted 'for attachment to a'source of vacuum, valve means in the conduit means operable by movement of the lid, a discharge chamber, below and communicating with the extinguishing. chamber; and dis charge valve means releasably sealing'the extinguishing chamber from the discharge chamberand operable in one position to' seal the discharge chamber from the,

extinguishing chamber for evacuating the latter and in a second position to discharge the contents of the eX-. tinguishing chamber into the discharge chamben 2. A vacuum receiver for smokers material comprising. an extinguishing chamber having a mouth for the reception of such material, the extinguishing chamber f I being formed with a laterally extending projection adjacent its mouth; acover superimposed over the mouth of; the extinguishing chamber, the cover having a'lateral extension adapted to overlie the extension tof the'extin guishing chamber; hinge means interconnecting the extensions on thecover and the extinguishing chamber, first I sealing means interposed between the cover and the ex- 'tinguishing chamber for sealing the same against access or of air, a conduit interconnecting the extinguishingrchamplaced in the extinguishing chamber by raising, the cover at intervals and extinguished byv closing the-same in a similar rnanner until the chamber is full. During these 'tacle ortto the exterior'ofthevehicle, V V '1 f it is to be notedparticularlythat as stated above,"upon opening cover 25 slightly, air; is admitted immediately to the interior of the chamber because' of theilcose fit prescnt fbetween' sealing ring:3 6 and pin 40. A xa consequence, little effort istrequired to'raise the cover. 1 it is to be understood that the form oftour invention, herewith'shown and described, is to; betakcn as a pro fcrred example of the same, andthat various changes'in" the shape, size'and arrangementof parts may b e r'esorted the'scope of the subjoinedclaimsf towithout departing from the spirit of our invention or returning it to itsiclosed' position.

her, and a source of vacuum,'valvemeans including a spring pressed valve stem in the conduit means, the valve stembearing against .the cover and being actuatable by movement of the same,a discharge chamber communieating with the extinguishing chamber, second sealing means sealing the extinguishing chamber against access of air from the discharge chamber, and discharge means interposed between theextinguishing and discharge chainbersafor discharging the contents of'the extinguishing icharnber; 7 7' a Q 3. The receptacle of claim [wherein-the second scal ing means and discharge means comprise a coneshaped valve member interposed between f-the extinguishingand t, discharge chamber,a vertically arranged shaft connectedf to the-valve member and mounted for reciprocation with"- 7 in the discharge .chamben-meansconnected to the shaft for movingifthe valve member between open and closed positions, and resilient means connected to theticone'ior QReferences'Cited inlthe file of this patientl UNITED STATES, PATENTS fi24'1,447" Thrope i; ;May i0, "1881 2,616,557 Gill et all f Nov. 4,1952

t t r I 'VFOREIGN PATENTS 194,17 1' Great Britain Mar. @1925 

